HAPPY KETO THANKSGIVING!!
Many of us are living the keto lifestyle.
The holidays are like a deadly trap in our path…family, parties, lots of decadent foods that WE SHOULD NOT BE EATING!
It is just too easy to give in to temptations, UNLESS you have an enticing, delightful alternative that is also right for your diet!
My 5 rules of success to keep you on track during the holidays!
When my clients ask me what they should do to navigate holiday events, like a big thanksgiving feast, here is what I suggest.
- Eat the meat (turkey, ham, etc) and the low carb vegetables (kale, salad, spinach etc)
- Skip the stuffing, breads, and high sugar/carb desserts and vegetables.
- Bring your own alternative: a keto bread, a keto side dish, a keto dessert.
- If you can not bring your own, stick to the basics, just eat more of that.
- Don’t worry about calories! Count that day as a “Refeeding Day”. You will be more motivated to go back on your regular plan the next day if you did not feel deprived.
Here are some Keto-Vivica-Proofed alternative you can make and bring with you!! I also included someKeto-Vivica-Proofed main dishes in case you are the HOST and want to be able to eat everything! 🙂
PS That means no dairy and NO CRAP ingredients! Sorry to be such a pain, but I want you HEALTHY!!!
Appetizers
A very Italian style Antipasto: Appetizer tray Skip the cheese if you are dairy-sensitive!!
I love prosciutto! This would be an easy finger food to pass around before dinner :Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Ham
Turkey
A must read post to bake the perfect turkey: 17 Thanksgiving Turkey Mistakes Everyone Makes
A great keto-bacon-lover recipe: Bacon Blanketed Turkey (skip the root veggies or give them to a non-keto guest!)
Gravy
This is a great post about making gravy: How to Make Low-Carb Gravy – How to Keto-Vivica-modify it: DO NOT use corn starch or any other flour.
You two best options for gravy thickener is:
- Psyllium Fiber Excellent thickener. Tip: make sure you do give it time to expand before adding more, or you will end up with a rubber ball gravy!
- Extra fine Coconut Flour: Just use 1 tbs or the same will happen as with the psyllium
Cranberry sauce
This is a fancy one: Chipotle Lime Cranberry Sauce
And a basic version: Sugar-free Cranberry Sauce
Breads
Keto Buns, those would be divine when hot an buttered!!
Fragrant Garlic Bread
Amazing Cranberry Jalapeño “Cornbread” Muffins
And a great crunchy cracker: Rosemary Crackers with Olive Oil
Stuffing
My very own delicious Gourmet Stuffing
Sausage Stuffing YUM! (skip the parmesan for dairy-free option!)
This is my very favorite stuffing: Shrimp and Bacon Dressing. To make it low-carb use coconut flour instead of tapioca flour.
Side Dishes
Roasted Mushrooms with Garlic & Thyme (skip the bread crumbs and use a 1/4 cup almond meal instead!!)
and of course Dessert
Crustless Pumpkin Pie Dairy free option: Use coconut cream instead of cream
Fudgy Macadamia Chocolates (These will be the highlight of the party)
Comments 16
SO excited t to have found your beautiful site, and yummy healthy recipes. This newsletter is my first from you and it doesn’t disappoint 🙂 Can’t wait to try the mushroom side dish but know that I do not want to include the breadcrumbs, what would you substitute? Thank you very much for your input! Have a glorious thanksgiving!
Thank you Nicole! Welcome!! You should definitively SKIP the bread crumbs and maybe use a bit of almond meal. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!
Or ground up pork rinds
Just what I’ve been looking for. Thanks!
Wow, right on time, thank you Vivica. I was stressing over Thanksgiving just this morning and what foods I could bring to share. Ever been to an Italian-American Family Thanksgiving dinner? You gain weight just walking into the house!! Definitely will be making some of these recipes to add to those I was going bring! Thank you again. You rock!!
YOU are always welcome!! <3
I have the solids from a can of coconut milk. I took them off the top after refrigerating the milk. Is that the coconut cream I can sub for dairy in the pumpkin pie?
PERFECT!!! Yes that is exactly the one!
I just love your recipes!, a lot of great recipes!.
Thanks for the shout-out! I’ve added a link to this post to my post where I’ve collected links to all the low-carb Thanksgiving round-ups!
I’m new to the Keto lifestyle and of course thanksgiving has been on my mind. I’ve actually thought about not starting until after the holidays. Then I found this site with so many yummy recipes. Thank you, now I just got to talk my husband into joining me.
That is awesome Catherine! Its much easier as a team 🙂
Vivica, You mentioned two thickeners to use for the gravy. I only see psyllium husk. Was there another one? Thank you for putting this menu together!
Thank you Erica! I used almond flour or coconut flour, the fine kind, but just a TBS.
Hi Erica, I just updated it!! Thank you 🙂